Automatic musical instrument.



J. SCHWARZ. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED AUG-l9. 1912.

Patented Oct.12,1915.

5 SHEETSSI|EET 1.

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ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WA5HINCHON, n. c.

J. SCHWARZ.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-I9. I9I2.

1,156,499. Patented 0013.12, 1915.

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WITNEEEIEE g/w ATTEIRNEYE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINOTON. D. c.

.l. SCHWARZ. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICAHON FILED AUG-19.1912.

Patented. Oct. 12, 1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5- o 9 9 a e 8 INVENTUR WiTNEEE EE ATTURNEY:

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO..WA5H1NOTON, D. c.

UN STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS SCHWARZ, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO THE RUDOLPH W'URLITZER- MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, A

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

instruments, such as pianos, which are adapted to be played either automatically or manually, and more particularly to an instrument of this kind combining an ordinary piano with one or more pipe-stops, such as violin and flute pipes, as well as drums or other desired instruments.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of an instrument of this char- .acter in which the several musical sections can be played separately or in concert or combined in different ways, to produce a variety of effects, thus rendering the instrument especially desirable for moving picture theaters and similar places of amusement, inasmuch as it permits the music to be suited to any style of film.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 5 sheets: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved instrument with the front wall removed. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thereof, on an enlarged scale, some parts being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the instrument. Fig. l is a fragmentary front view of the rolldriving mechanism and the duct-board. Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 55, Fig. 4, with the wind chest shown in elevation.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 66,

Fig. at. Fig. 7 is an ,end view of the roll driving mechanism. Fig. .8 is a fragmentary rear view of the wind chest, showing the locking means of the motor pneumatics. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of the roll-driving mechanism. Fig. 10 is a sectional perspective view of the flushing valve Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

Application filed August 19, 1912. Serial No. 715,752.

construction, and 2 the usual keys thereof for playing the piano manually.

3 indicates the striker or motor pneumatics for playing the piano automatically, these pneumatics acting upon parts of the piano action through the abstract 4, in a well known manner.

5 indicates the main suction wind chest containing a pneumatic action of any suitable construction which controls said motor pneumatics, this chest being preferably arranged above the keys, as shown. It is connected with the customary pump or main suction bellows 6 which is operated by an electric or other suitable motor 7. As is common in such pneumatic actions, each motor pneumatic is connected by a channel 8 with a valve chamber 9 connected by a port 10 with the main suction chamber 11 of the wind chest and by a port 12 with the air or flushing chamber 13 of the chest. These ports are controlled by the customary valve 14: which is controlled by a primary pneumatic 15 to which leads a channel 16 forming a continuation of the corresponding duct of the tracker-board l7.

18 indicates the usual music roll and 19 the take-up roll. The right hand ends. of the roll-spindles are engaged with the usual clutch members 20 secured to the take-up and rewind shafts 21, 22, respectively, which are journaled in the adjacent cheek of the tracker-box. The rewind shaft 22 is held against endwise movement and carries a friction disk 23 at its outer end. Mounted on the take-up shaft 21 is a spur gear 2% adapted to mesh with a pinion 25 carried by a longitudinally-movable shaft 26 supported by a bracket secured to the tracker boX. A spring 27 applied to the shaft 26 between its inner bearing and a collar of the shaft tends to withdraw the pinion from engagement with the spur gear 24:.

28 indicates a friction disk secured to the outer end of the shaft 26.

29 indicates an upright shaft facing the friction disks and carrying friction wheels 30, 31 adapted to engage said disks respectively. The shaft 29 is journaled in an 05- cillating frame 32 pivoted by trunnions to the outer end of a bracket 33 projecting from the tracker box. These trunnions are so arranged that when said frame is rocked in one direction the upper friction wheel 30 engages the companion friction disk 23 and the lower friction wheel 31 clears the cone spending friction disk 28, while when said frame is rocked in the opposite direction, the position of said wheels reversed. The constant rotation. of the shaft 29 in the same direction thus causes the music sheet to be wound upon one or the other roll, according as said shaft is rocked in one or the other direction. The shaft 29 is driven from a counter-shaft by a belt running around pulleys on said shafts. This counter-shaft may be driven from the motor '7 by any suitable means.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 10, the shaft 29 extends below the lower friction disk 28 and is pivotally connected to the upper end of an arm 36 pivoted upon a horizontal shaft 37 arranged parallel with the pivots of the oscillating frame 32 and mounted in suitable bearings. 38 indicates a spring connecting the arm 36 with a fixed part and tending constantly to pull said arm and the lower end of the shaft 29 toward the tracker box, thereby normally holding the lower friction wheel 31 against the disk 28 and the upper wheel 30 out of engagement with the friction wheel 23 and driving the take-up roll. The spring 38 is more powerful than the spring 27, so as to overcome its resistance and normally shift the pinion 26 into engagement with the gear wheel 24, as shown in Fig. 4. When, however, the shaft 29 is rocked in the opposite direction for rewinding the music sheet, the wheel 31 recedes from the disk 28 and the spring 27 withdraws the pinion 25 from the gear wheel 24.

This reverse movement of the shaft 29 is automatically effected after the playing of the last piece on the music sheet preferably by the following mechanism: 39 indicates a verticalyswinging shifting lever pivoted at 40 to a block 41, and 42 is a rod connecting the angular portion of said lever with the arm 36, so that when the long member of the shifting lever is depressed, the shaft 29 is rocked to the rewind-position. Pivoted to said long arm is an upright trip or presserbar 43, the upper end of which is movable into and out of the path of a rotary cam 44, secured to an upright shaft 45 which is driven from the shaft 34 by a belt 46. The upper portion of this trip bar is guided in a fixed standard 47. A spring 48 connecting the trip-bar with the lever 39 tends to draw said bar out of range of the cam 44, while a small bellows or pneumatic 49 serves, when collapsed, to swing the upper end of the trip bar under the face of the cam, so as to be depressed thereby. For this purpose, the movable board of this pneumatic has an arm 50 which bears against the rear edge of the trip-bar. This pneumatic is controlled by a rewind-perforation in the music sheet placed near the rear end thereof and coperating with a corresponding tracker-duct and a pneumatic action similar to that shown in cross section in Fig. 2, said pneumatic being inflated when the rewind-perforation registers with the corresponding tracker-duct and deflected when it breaks register therewith, in a well known manner. During the rewinding operation of the music sheet, the shaft 29 is locked in position by an automatic pawl or catch 51 arranged to inter lock with a laterally-projecting pin 52 of the elbow lever 39 when the latter is depressed. This catch is pivoted at 53 to :1 lug of the block 41 and is constantly urged toward the pin 52 by a spring 54.

In order to flush the wind chest and silence the instrument during the rewinding of the music sheet, the wind chest is connected with a flushing chamber in the block 41, as shown in Fig. 10. A port 56 connects this chamber with the outer atmosphere,'this port being controlled by a normally-closed valve 57 carried by a vertically-swinging lever 58 fulcrumed at 59. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the locking pin 52 extends over the rear arm of the valvelever 58 at a suitable height to depress said arm simultaneously with the depression of the shifting lever 39, thereby lifting the front arm of the valve-lever, opening the valve 57 and flushing the wind chest.

At the end of the rewinding operation, the locking catch 51 is automatically disengaged from the locking pin 52 by the action of a finger 60 which cooperates with the take-up roll. This finger is pivoted at its lower end to a vertically-movable rock-arm 61 secured to a horizontal rock shaft 62, which is arranged parallel with the take-u roll and on the front side thereof. This shaft is supported in bearings mounted on a base board 63 and provided at its right hand end with a trip arm 64 which overlaps the tail of the locking catch 51, as shown in Fig. 10. Normally, the finger 60 bears against the convolutions of the music sheet opposite a. transverse groove or recess 65 in the periphery of the take-up roll, the finger being constantly drawn toward said roll by a spring 66. The rear end of this recess is abrupt referring to the direction of travel of the take-up roll during the rewinding of the music sheet. So long as the recess remains covered by the music sheet during the rewinding operation, the finger 60 is held in its retracted position, allowing the locking catch 51 to remain in engagement with the locking pin 52. As soon, however, as the recess is uncovered by the complete unwinding of the music sheet, the finger is drawn into the recess and its upper end is brought into the path of the abrupt end thereof, which thereupon depresses the finger and causes it to rock the shaft 62 in the proper direction to trip the locking catch and releasethe flushing valve and the shifting lever 39.

67 indicates a pressure wind chest with which are combined one or more stops such as violin and flute pipes 68 and G9, which ordinarily, are coextensive with the pianotreble. This chest and the means for controlling the admission of compressed air to the pipes may be of any suitable or well known construction. In the example shown in the drawings, it is located on the rear side of the piano case and is of ordinary construction, 70 indicating the pressure chamber connected with the usual pressure bellows 71 by the tube 72; 73 indicates one of the valves or pallets arranged in said chamber 7 0 and 74 the usual stop slides. In the construction shown, each of these slides is operated by a pair of oppositely-acting pneumatics 75, 76, the movable boards of which are arranged to engage opposite ends of a lug secured to the slide, as seen in Fig. 3. These pneumatics are individually connected with the suction wind chest 5 and controlled by a valve similar to the valve 1.4:; and by corresponding tracker ducts and music sheet perforations. The action of these slide-ac tuating pneumatics is preferably such that one slide is opened when the other is closed, so that only one pipe-stop is played at a time; but they may be played simultaneously, if desired. These slide-pneumatics are also adapted to be controlled manually, and for this purpose, branch tubes 77 lead from the corresponding tracker-tubes 7 8 to a pair of air ports or openings 79 formed in a valve block 80 which may be conveniently located at one end of the key-board. Secured centrally to the underside of this valve block is a flat spring 81 carrying valves 8:2 which normally close'said ports. These valves are opened by push buttons 83 which are guided in said block 80. Upon depressing either of these buttons, the outer atmosphere is admitted under the corresponding primary pneumatics of the suction chest, producing the same effect as the uncovering of the corresponding tracker duct and shifting the stop slides 74 accordingly. Any other means for manually'controlling the action of the slide pneumatics 75, 7 6'may however be employed.

The pipe pallets 73 are controlled by a penumatic action of any suitable construction. In that shown in the drawings, the motor pneumatic 84 of each pallet is connected by a tube 85 with the channel 8 of the suction chest leading to the corresponding hammer-actuating pneumatic 3, so that a single valve 14 of said chest controls both a piano-hammer and the corresponding pipepallet.

In order that the pipes may be played manually, as well as automatically, valve mecha- ,ducts of the tracker board. These valveboard ducts are respectively connected by branches 88 with the corresponding channels 16 of the suction chest 9, as shown in Fig. 2, said valve-board ducts terminate at the face of the board and are individually controlled by valves or pallets 89 pivoted at their upper ends to the board, so as to swing lengthwise of the piano keys. These pallets are normally held closed by springs 90. Cooperating with each pallet is a trip pin or projection 91 projecting upwardly from the corresponding piano key and arranged to strike the rear side of the pallet and open the same when the valve-board is shifted backward sufficiently for this purpose, the trip pins rocking idly with the keys when the valve-board is shifted forward far enough to withdraw the pallets out of range of the pins. When the valve board is moved to its operative position and a piano key is depressed, the corresponding valve or pallet 89 is opened, admitting the outer atmosphere to the respective primary pneumatic of the pneumatic action and sounding the corres onding pipe in the same manner as when t e corresponding duct of the tracker board is uncovered by the music sheet.

In the preferred construction shown in the drawings, the valve board is carried at its ends by a pair of depending arms 92 pivoted to the wind chest or other support, to swing lengthwise of the piano keys. The board is actuated by a horizontal rock shaft 93 journaled on the wind chest and provided at its inner end with an arm 94. which engages an eye 95 at the adjacent end of said board. A spring 96 coiled about said shaft tends to hold the valve board in its forward, inoperative position. At its opposite end said rock shaft carries a crank 97, the wrist pin of which is arranged in the path of a cam or incline 98 mounted on a vertical slide 99, so that when said slide is lowered the cam rides over the wrist pin, swinging said rock shaft in the proper direction to move the valve-board backward to its operative position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, while when the slide is raised the cam clears said pin and allows the spring 96 to return the valve board to its inoperative position. This slide is preferably actuated by a pair of horizontal oppositely-acting pneumatics 100, the central partition 101 of which is fixed, while their upper and lower boards are movable and coupled together by a link 102, so that the movement of each is transmitted to the other. The slide 99 is attached to the movable board of the upper pneumatic. These two pneumatics are preferably connected with an auxiliary suction chest 103 arranged on the underside of the key table and containing primary pneumatics, 104 and controlling valves 105, one for each of said pneumatics, similar to the corresponding parts of the main suction chest 5, said pneumatics being connected with the corresponding channels of the auxiliary chest by tubes 106. The action of the last-named pneumatics 100 is manually controlled by suitable push buttons, levers or keys. In the construction shown, separate tubes 107 lead from the primary pneumatics of the auxiliary suction chest to a pair of air ports 108 formed in a valve block 109 which may be arranged at one end of the key board. As shown in Fig. 11, these ports are controlled by a slide-valve 110 guided to move lengthwise on the underside of the valve-block and constructed to cover one port and uncover the other at either extremity of its stroke, thus actuating one or the other of said pneumatics. This may be done by a key or lever 111 pivoted to the valve block and engaging the valve, or by other suitable means. 7

It is at times desirable to play the pipes alone or without the corresponding piano treble. To permit this, means are provided for blocking the effective movement of the corresponding piano-hammers and prevent ing their striking the strings. The preferred device shown in the drawings con sists of a horizontal stop rail or bar 112 extending transversely across the rear sides of the hammer-shanks and movable toward and from the same, so that when the rail is shifted forward to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, it arrests the movement of the hammers while when retraced to the position shown by full lines, it permits the necessary full or normal stroke of the hammers to strike the strings. This stop rail is carried by arms 113 pivoted at their lower ends to a fixed supporting rail 114 and is preferably shifted to its operative position by a pneumatic 115 the movable board of which is connected with the rail by a link 116. A spring 117 applied to this pneumatic serves to return-the stop rail to its inoperative position when the pneumatic is flushed. Said pneumatic is connected with the auxiliary valve chest 103 by a tube 118 and controlled by valves therein similar to the valve 105, and the primary pneumatic of said action is controlled by a hand lever 119 and valve 120 similar to the parts 110 and 111.

It will be noted that the motor pneumatics 3 of the piano action and the motor pneumatics 81 of the pipe action are both controlled by the same pneumatic action in the main wind chest 5. If the instrument be adjusted for manual playing with the pipes and a piano key be depressed by hand to sound a given pipe, the corresponding pianohammer will be actuated both by hand and by its motor pneumatic, unless some means be provided to prevent the automatic action of the hammer. Such automatic playing is obviously objectionable in manual playing and I therefore block or lock the movable boards of the hammer-actuating pneumatics corresponding to the pipes, that is in the present case, the treble-pneumatics. The preferred locking device consists of a horizontal rail or bar 121 arranged above the usual arms 122 extending from the movable boards of the uppermost row of motor pneumatics 3 and adapted to be lowered to the position shown by dottedlines in Fig. 5, to block the upward stroke of said boards; or to be raised to the position shown by full lines, to clear said extensions and permit the pneumatics to actuate the piano hammers in the usual manner. This locking rail carries downwardly-extending rods or stops 121 arranged to block the arms 122 of the motor pneumatics 3 in the lowermost and intermediate rows, when said rail is lowered. The locking rail 121 is guided in its move ments by fixed pins 123 projecting into vertical slots 12st in the rail, said pins being carried by a strip 125 secured to the back of the main wind chest. Said rail is connected by links 126 with a horizontally sliding bar 127 arranged immediately above the rail and guided by pins 128 secured to the strip and arranged in longitudinal slots of said bar. By this construction the lock rail is raised or lowered by the reciprocating movement of said sliding bar 127. The latter is connected with the upper end of the camslide 99 by a lever 129, a link 130 and a rock shaft 131, or equivalent means, so that the locking rail is lowered and caused to lock the treble motor-pneumatics at the same time that the valve or duct board is swung into its operative position for playing the pipes manually, thus automatically locking said pneumatics in the act of throwing the duct board into action. The hammer stop-rail 112 is of the proper length to block only the treble-hammers corresponding to the organ pipes 68 and 69; and likewise, the lock-rail 121 is confined to the striker pneumatics 3 of those treble-hammers.

Convenient means are provided for throwing the music and take-up rolls out of gear with the driving and rewind mechanism without however flushing the wind chests, when the piano and the pipes are to be played manually. For this purpose I prefer to employ the devices shown in the drawings which are constructed as follows: 132 indicates an arm mounted loosely on the shaft 37 beside the arm 36. The arm 132 is provided on its upper side with a lug 133 adapted to bear against the front end of a set screw 134 carried by the arm, as shown in Fig. 10, so that when the arm 132 is raised it swings the arm 36 and the lower portion of the shaft 29 toward the right, thus withdrawing the lower friction wheel 31 from the disk 28 and allowing the spring 27 to shift the pinion 25 out of gear with the spur wheel 24. The arm 132 is raised by a cam or incline 135 engaging under a laterallyprojecting roller 136 of said arm and carried by a slide 137 movable lengthwise of the arm. This slide is guided on the base board 63 and is in turn actuated by a second slide 138 arranged on said board in front of the slide 137 and rigidly connected with the latter by a transverse arm139, the slide 138 having a thumb piece 140 for actuating it.

Upon shifting the front slide 138 to the right, the cam 135 of the rear slide raises the arm 132, as before described, the cam being of such a height that the shaft 29 is rocked far enough to allow the gear pinion 25 to clear the wheel 24, but not so far as to move the upper friction wheel 30 into contact with the companion disk 23. In this position of the parts, the music and take-up rolls can be turned by hand independently of the driving and rewind mechanism, for tuning or other purposes, and the music roll can be replaced by another without stopping the motor.

To enable the instrument to be silenced while changing the music roll and yet allow the pump-motor .to continue in operation,

the cam-slide 137 is provided with a second cam or incline 1.41 arranged to engage under a forward extension 142 of the flush-valve lever 58, when said slide is shifted to its full extent, thereby opening the flushing VZL V6.

In order to prevent the slide 137 from be ing shifted to the extremity of its stroke when the instrument is to be played manually with pipes, means are provided to arrest the movement of said slide 137 after the same has been shifted sufficiently to throw the music and take-up rolls out of gear with the driving mechanism and before it is shifted far enough to open the flushing valve. The preferred device for this purpose consists of a sliding stop or block 143 arranged to move across the path of the slide at the proper time. This block is suitably guided on the base board 63 and is normally retracted by a spring 144. It is projected to arrest the slide 137 by a rock shaft 145, one arm 146 ofwhich is connected with the stopblock 143, while the other arm 147 is arranged in the path of an arm 148 of the rock shaft 131, so that when the cam-slide descends to bring the duct-board 86 into operative position the stop-block 143 is simultaneously advanced, thus maintaining the flushing valve 57 in its closed position as required to operate the pneumatic action which controls the pipe-pallets 73.

In practice, the motor-circuit is controlled by a suitable switch.

The operation of the instrument when played automatically is as follows: In the normal position of the parts, the flushing valve 57 is closed, the take-up roll is in gear, and the music roll out of gear with the driving mechanism, and the trip bar 43 clears the rotary cam 44. The cam-slide 137 is shifted to its initial position, so as not to interfere with the automatic action of the parts. The duct-board 86, hammer-locking rail 112 and pneumatic locking rail 121 are allowed to remain in their inoperative positions, as shown by full lines in the drawings. Upon closing the motor circuit, the cam shaft 45 is constantly rotated and the oscillating shaft 29 is continuously rotated in one direction, driving the take-up roll in the proper direction to wind the music sheet thereon. The piano section and pipe sections of the instrument now play in concert, the cutting in of one or the other pipe stop being governed by corresponding perforations of the music sheet. Should it be desired to play a pipe solo, the piano treble can be readily cut out by moving the controlling key 111 of the hammer locking rail 112 in the proper direction to cause the shifting of said rail to its operative position. When the music sheet has been fully wound upon the take up roll, the rewind perforation of the sheet comes into register with the corresponding tracker-duct, collapsing the pneumatic 49 and swinging the trip bar 43 under the constantly-rotating cam 44, which depresses said bar, thereby oscillating the shaft 29 to the proper position to cause the sheet to be rewound upon the music roll. Simultaneously with the reversal of the oscillating shaft 29, the flushing valve 57 is opened by the pin 52 of the depressed shifting lever 39, the latter and the valve being locked in this position during the rewinding operation by the automatic catch 51. The moment that the sheet is fully unwound from the take-up roll, the finger 60 enters the uncovered recess 65 of said roll, withdrawing the catch 51, allowing the flushing valve to close and at the same time permitting the driving gearing to return to its normal position under the action of the spring 38. To change the music roll and silence the instrument without stopping the motor, the slide 137 is shifted toward the right to the extremity of its movement, so as to throw the music and take-up rolls out of gear and open the flushing valve 57. hen it is desired to play the instrument manually including the pipes, the key or hand lever 119 is swung in the proper direction to cause the duct-board S0 to be swung to its operative position and the locking rail 121 to be lowered to lock the treble motor pneumatics of the piano action as before described, after which the desired pipe-stop 68 or G9 is brought into action by pressing one or the other of the corresponding buttons83. Upon depressing the piano keys, the piano strings are sounded in the ordinary way and simultaneously therewith the pipes corresponding to the depressed treble keys are sounded. Should it be desired to play the pipes alone or solo, with piano accompaniment, the hammers constituting the piano treble are cut out of action by properly shifting the key 111 which controls the hammer locking rail 112, as hereinbefore described.

In addition to the pipe stops, the instrument may be provided with a bass drum 149,

- a snare drum 150, and a triangle 151. The

movable percussion elements of these instruments are preferably actuated by pneumatics 152 and 153 in any suitable or well known manner. In the preferred construction shown, these percussion pneumatics are connected with the auxiliary suction chest 103 by tubes 154, 155 and 156 and controlled by valve actions similar to the parts 104 and 105, these actions being in turn controlled by valves actuated by pedals 157, 158 and 159, which may be constructed similar to and operate upon the same principle as the valve-controlling buttons 83. These percussion instruments are preferably inclosed in a portable supplemental case 160 separate from the piano-case, as shown. To permit these instruments to be subdued, the case 160 may be provided with pivoted swell shutters 161 conveniently located in its top. A universal bar 162 connects the shutters and they are simultaneously opened and closed by a pneumatic 168 with which the bar is connected by a link 164;. This pneumatic is likewise connected with the auxiliary suction chest 103 and controlled by a pedal 165.

As this instrument comprises various musical sections which can be played in concert or solo, at will, it permits of a variety of effects, which especially adapts the instrument for use in movable picture theaters, the different combinations enabling the performer to play various kinds of musicto suit the character of the subjects exhibited.

Various changes and modifications may obviously be made in the instrument within the scope of the appended claims, and I do not therefore wish to be limited to the particular construction herein shown and described.

I claim as my invent-ion:

1. The combination of a piano-action, manual keys therefor, a pipe-stop, a single pneumatic action controlling both the piano action and the pipe-stop, automatic means controlling said pneumatic action, auxiliary means also controlling said pneumatic action and actuated by the piano-keys.

2. The combination of a piano action, keys for playing the same manually, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said stop, a duct-board connected with said pneumatic action, and movable relatively to the pianokeys and valves controlling the ducts of said board and arranged to be actuated by the piano-keys.

3. The combination of a piano action,keys

for playing the same manually, a pipe-stop,

a pneumatic action controlling said stop, a duct-board connected with said pneumatic action, and valves controlling the ducts of said board, said piano keys having parts arranged to engage said valves and the ductboard being movable to bring said valves into or out of operative relation with said parts.

4. The combination of a piano action, manual keys therefor having upward projections, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said stop, a duct board connected with said pneumatic action and movable lengthwise of said keys, and valves controlling the ducts of said board and adapted to be actuated by said projections.

5. The combination of a piano action, manual keys therefor having projections, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said stop, a duct board connected with said pneumatic action and pivoted to swing lengthwise of said keys, and valves applied to the ducts of said board and arranged to be engaged by said projections when the board is moved to its operative position.

6. The combination of a piano action, manual keys therefor having upwardly-projecting trip pins, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said stop, a duct board arranged above the keys and pivoted to swing lengthwise thereof, the ducts of said board being connected with said pneumatic action, valves controlling said ducts and arranged to be engaged by said pins when the board is moved to operative position, and means for controlling said board.

7 The combination of a piano action, manual keys therefor having projections, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said stop, a duct-board connected with said pneumatic action and movable lengthwise of said keys, valves controlling the ducts of said board and adapted to be actuated by said projections, a rock shaft connected with said board, and acam for actuating said rock shaft.

8. The combination of a piano action, manual keys therefor having projections, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said stop, a duct-board connected with said pneumatic action and a horizontal rock shaft connected With said board and having an actuating arm, and a vertical slide having a cam arranged to engage said arm.

9. The combination of a piano action, manual keys therefor, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said piano action and pipe-stop and including striker pneumatics for the hammers of the piano action, means controlling said pneumatic action and actuated by said keys, and means for rendering a number of said striker pneumatics inoperative at will.

10. The combination of a piano action, manual keys therefor, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said piano action and pipe-stop and including striker pneumatics for the hammers of the piano action, means controlling said pneumatic action and actuated by said keys, and a lock-rail cooperating with the movable members of said striker pneumatics.

11. The combination of a piano action, a pipestop, a pneumatic action controlling the piano action and pipe-stop and includ ing striker-pneumatics for the hammers of the piano-action, a lock rail extending across the movable members of said pneumatics and movable toward and from the same, a slide movable lengthwise of said rail, links connecting the rail with said slide, and means for actuating the slide.

12. The combination of a piano action, manual keys therefor, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said piano action and pipe-stop and including striker pneumatics for the hammers of the piano-action, means controlling said pneumatic action and actuated by the piano keys, the last-named controlling means being movable into and out of operative relation to said keys, and means for simultaneously rendering a number of said striker pneumatics inoperative and moving said controlling means into operative position.

13. The combination of a piano action, manual keys therefor, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said piano action and pipe-stop and including striker pneumatics for the hammers of the piano-action, locking means for a number of said striker pneumatics, a duct board connected with said pneumatic action, valves applied to the ducts of said board and adapted tobe actuated by the piano keys, said board being movable to bring said valves into or out ofoperative relation to the keys, and means for simultaneously moving said locking means and said duct-board to operative position.

14:. The combination of a piano-action, manual keys therefor, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling said piano action and pipe-stop and including striker pneumatics for the hammers of the piano action, a movable locking rail extending across the movable members of a number of said striker pneumatics, a duct board connected with said pneumatic action and movable relatively to the piano-keys, valves controlling the ducts of said board and arranged to be actuated by said keys in the operative position of said board, a cam-slide for moving said board to operative position, and connections between said slide and said locking rail for actuating the same simultaneously.

15. The combination of a piano-action, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling the piano action and pipe-stop and having a flushing valve, automatic controlling means for said pneumatic action including a tracker board and music and take-up rolls for a music sheet, driving and rewind mechanism for said rolls, auxiliary means also controlling said pneumatic action and actuated by the piano keys, said auxiliary means being movable into and out of operative re lation to the keys, shifting means for throwing said rolls into and out of gear with said mechanism and opening said flushing valve, and means for automatically blocking said shifting means before opening the fiushing-valve when said auxiliary controlling means are moved to operative position.

16. The combination of a piano action, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling the piano-action and pipe-stop and having a flushing valve, automatic controlling means for said pneumatic action including a tracker board and music and take-up rolls for a music sheet, driving and rewind mechanism for said rolls, a movable duct-board connected with said pneumatic action, valves applied to the ducts of said board and adapted to be actuated by the piano keys in the op rative position of said board, means for moving said board to operative position, a shifting device for throwing said rolls into and out of gear with said mechanism and opening said flushing valve, a stop for said shifting device movable relatively thereto, and means for transmitting motion from said board-moving means to said stop.

17. The combination of a piano action, a pipe-stop, a pneumatic action controlling the piano-action and pipe-stop and having a flushing valve, automatic controlling means for said pneumatic action including a tracker board and music and take-up rolls for a music sheet, driving and rewind mechanism for said rolls, a movable duct-board connected with said pneumatic action, valves before opening the flushing valve, and applied to the ducts of said board and adapted to be actuated by the piano keys in the operative position of said board, a camarranged to be actuated by said cam-s1ide.

5 slide for moving said board to operative 1912.

position a shiftin device for throwin T ,7 r said rolis into and out of gear wlth said JLLIUS mechanism and opening said flushing valve, \Vitnesses:

C. F. GEYER,

a stop-block slidable across the path of said E. M. GRAHAM.

10 shifting device for arresting its movement rock shaft connected with said block and 1 .Vitness my hand this 14th day of August,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. O.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,156,499, granted October 12, 1915, upon the application of Julius Schwarz, of North Tonawanda, New York, for an improvement in Automatic Musical Instruments, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2 line 72, for the Word deflected read deflated; page 3, lines 74-75, for the Word corresond read correspond; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ollice.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of November, A. 1)., 1915.

[SEAL] I J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,156,499, granted October 12, 1915, upon the application of Julius Schwarz, of North Tonawanda, New York, for an improvement in Automatic Musical Instruments, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2 line 72, for the Word deflected read deflated; page 3, lines 74-75, for the Word corresond read correspond; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of November, A. D., 1915.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

